


Wake Up

by Elocinn



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, LadyNoir - Freeform, Miraculer, Romance, ladrien, ml spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 15:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18854257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elocinn/pseuds/Elocinn
Summary: "She should have moved faster. She should have jumped to his side the moment Miraculer unknowingly returned her powers. She knew he was injured, but he always managed to escape real danger or hold his own “just a moment longer” until she could relieve him of the threat pining him down. She should have known this time was different, much different." AU of Miraculer. Spoilers.





	Wake Up

**Author's Note:**

> So I haven't written a fanfic, or anything for that matter, in probably 5 or 6 years. This story just flowed in my head so I went for it. I am a little rusty, so bear with me. This is a "what-if" AU of Miraculer with LadyNoir/Ladrien hurt/comfort, fluff/angst goodness. Hope you enjoy!

She should have moved faster. She should have jumped to his side the moment Miraculer unknowingly returned her powers. She knew he was injured, but he always managed to escape real danger or hold his own “just a moment longer” until she could relieve him of the threat pining him down. She should have known this time was different, much different. 

Chat Noir’s strangled cry snapped Ladybug’s focus from Miraculer destroying Carapace’s Shellter to the covered rooftop pool. Mayura leered over Chat’s prone form, her boot pressing heavily against his wrist as she reached down and pinched his Miraculous between her fingers. Ladybug’s heart leapt into her throat, but instinct set her body in motion. The heroine hurled her yoyo with the brute strength she reserved only for the most aggressive akumas or the most desperate situations. The yoyo struck the indigo-skinned villain directly in the chest. The powerful momentum was supposed to throw Mayura as far from Chat Noir as possible and, while it did just that, sending her clear across the pool and onto a lounge chair several feet away, it also forced her fingers to release the Black Cat Miraculous.

Ladybug didn’t realize how far Mayura managed to slip the ring down Chat’s finger. A flash of blinding green light startled the heroine just as Mayura went flying. The clangs of a small metal object hopping onto the pool deck filed Ladybug’s sense of hearing as she realized Chat no longer wore his black suit. The shock of Chat’s sudden detransformation froze her muscles. Her brain tried to process if what occurred right before her eyes actually happened. She could not begin to comprehend the fact that what they had so painstakingly avoided for so long had finally occurred because she had not been fast enough. 

Her internal crisis lasted only a few seconds before a pained groan broke her stupor. The heroine allowed her body to move on its own volition again while she tried to not focus on the face of the unmasked hero. She could not help but see neatly combed blonde hair and an outfit that made her heart leap into her throat, but Ladybug refused to let her mind concentrate on those details. She forced herself to focus on one goal only, protect Chat’s identity. 

Quickly, Ladybug used her body to shield Chat’s face from Miraculer’s sight. A swift glance showed her the akuma did not yet notice Chat’s predicament since all her focus was on battling Rena Rouge and Carapace. Glancing over to the other villain, Ladybug felt relief and a bit of pride when she saw Mayura was temporarily unconscious. 

Ladybug needed to get Chat away from the battle before either villain realized what happened. 

Training her eyes to a point above Chat’s hair and trying to ignore her peripheral vision, Ladybug slid her hand underneath the hero’s head and began to lift it gently but hurriedly. Chat grunted at the small movement, his body twitching in response. The heroine bit her lip and slipped her other arm around his torso to have him sit up. Chat yelped and nearly threw himself out of her arms the moment Ladybug began to lift him. 

“I know, I know it hurts. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Ladybug cooed as Chat’s body continued to writhe from the pain her touches caused. “I need to get you out of here. They can’t see you.”  
The heroine figured Chat’s consciousness had given out during his detransformation because his body was trying everything it could to stop the agony coursing through it. He instinctively tried to push her away and grabbed her arms in a vice-like grip, but Ladybug had to force herself to keep going. She barely noticed a tear sipping down her cheek as she cradled Chat’s head against her collarbone, hiding his face from everyone including herself. The heroine stroked his hair for a moment, waiting for his throbbing body to calm down before trying to move him further.

“Ladybug!”

Ladybug turned her ear toward Rena Rouge’s cry but kept her body squarely in front of Chat’s.

“Get him out of here! We’ll keep these two busy!” Carapace ensured.

The heroine gave a curt nod before returning her attention to Chat. A small groan to her left reminded her Mayura was still a threat who had apparently regained consciousness. Ladybug hastily secured her arms under Chat’s knees and shoulders before effortlessly standing to her feet. The hero gasped but his exhausted body no longer tried to fight her. Ladybug’s stomach dropped. Chat’s civilian form was succumbing quickly to the wound.

A solution jumped into her head. Where was Chat’s Miraculous? The suit should keep him stable long enough for her and the others to defeat the akuma so she could heal him with Miraculous Cure. The silver glint of metal caught her shifting gaze. She inhaled when she saw a black being floating beside it, clutching his head tightly.

“Plagg!”

“Ahh, not so loud.” The kwami moaned, flattening his ears to his head. “I’ve got a major migr-”

The tiny god stopped in his tracks the moment he saw his chosen trembling in Ladybug’s arms. Plagg’s mouth hung open for a moment before turning into a deep frown as his brow furrowed. He snatched his Miraculous and swiftly nestled into Chat’s hair. 

“We need to get him transformed.” 

The seriousness of the aloof kwami’s tone only made Ladybug’s throat tighten further. A quick glance behind her showed Carapace and Rena Rouge had both Miraculer and Mayura occupied. Ladybug leapt from the resort’s rooftop toward the streets below, trying to make each jump as small and as smooth as possible. She cringed when Chat squirmed painfully every time she landed. Ladybug struggled to tune out his cries, but each felt like a stab to the heart.

After finally reaching the streets, Ladybug stealthily maneuvered around the growing crowds and reporters into a nearby alleyway. She did not stop even after taking several turns into different alleys. Hawkmoth and Mayura would not find them, she would make sure of that.

“I think that’s far enough.”

Plagg’s voice scared her out of her skin. Ladybug had honed her focus on escaping so much, she forgot about the kwami for a moment. Halting in the middle of an alley, Ladybug caught her breath as she knelt down. She carefully laid Chat’s feet down first, staring at the brick wall in front of her pointedly. The temptation to look at him was so prominent, nearly instinctive, but she refused to give up on what she had worked so hard to prevent. She refused to discover his identity to keep him safe. She refused to fail him again.

Ladybug clutched Chat’s upper body to her own, still holding his head against her neck. She gritted her teeth as the tears she suppressed while taking action finally began to fill her eyes. Her trembling started to jar Chat’s injury and caused him to whimper quietly. The heroine breathed in deeply with regret, attempting to calm her own nerves in order to stop harming his. 

“Plagg, can I call his transformation for him?” Ladybug’s voice shook as she asked the question. 

The few seconds of silence gave her the answer before the black cat spoke.

“No.” The tiny god confirmed. “He has to say it himself.”

Ladybug swallowed hard. Chat had lost consciousness when his transformation fell and had not come close to regaining it since. She hastily repressed the fear he never would again. 

“You gotta try to get through to him, Bug.” Plagg informed, the tiredness in his tone evident.

“He’s in too much pain, Plagg!” The heroine shrieked with slight panic. “He’s not waking up anytime soon!”

“You gotta do something.”

“But what?”

“You can start by looking at him.”

Ladybug inhaled but did not retort. The tiny god’s tone left no room for argument. He was giving her permission to look. No, she couldn’t. There was too much at risk. His identity was nearly exposed to their enemy already. If she somehow slipped up or got captured and wound up revealing his identity to their enemy anyway, she would never forgive herself.

The heroine suddenly noticed how ragged Chat’s breathing had grown. Every breath he took sounded agonizing and arduous. Ladybug realized then how ludicrous revealing secret identities was compared to the situation at hand. Chat was dying in her arms. Secret identities would not matter if Chat fell victim to his injury. She had to do everything she could to help him.

Swallowing hard and shutting her eyes tightly, Ladybug gently lifted Chat’s head away from her neck before settling it onto the crook of her arm. With one last deep breath, she opened her eyes.

She nearly fainted.

“A-Adrien?!”

Her strangled cry echoed off the alley walls, but the heroine could care less who heard. Her world started crumpling around her. Ice rushed through her veins and squeezed her aching heart. Everything she knew suddenly didn’t make sense. She vaguely heard a high-pitched whine coming from somewhere, only to realize it emitted from her own throat.

Ladybug covered her mouth with her hand, unable to mask the sobs escaping it. 

“It’s you?! It’s been you the whole time?!” The heroine gasped out. “How did I not-”

“Bug! Focus!” Plagg’s shrill voice startled her from her breakdown. “You can freak out later! Right now, you need to wake him up so he can transform! He can’t hold out much longer against Cataclysm on his own!”

Ladybug panted as her panic attack gave way to fear-filled determination. She closed her eyes and replayed Plagg’s words in her mind, refocusing her thoughts. Breathing in deeply a few times, she looked back to Chat’s face. Adrien’s face.

The model’s skin color had paled considerably, almost ashen, except for his flushed cheeks. An agonized grimace twisted his charming features. Sweat beaded along his forehead and dripped down his face. His body continued to quiver. 

Ladybug willed herself to ignore the tears sliding relentlessly down her cheeks. She swallowed down another sob as she reached out with her free hand and cupped Adrien’s warm cheek.

“Adrien.” Her voice barely reached above a whisper. “Adrien, I need you to wake up. Please. You need to transform.”

She did not expect him to answer. She didn’t expect him to respond at all. Yet, she still watched his face with bated breath.

“Adrien, please.” Her gloved hand slid into his blonde locks, brushing away the ones on his forehead to cool him down. “You need to wake up only for a moment. You just need to transform. You’ll feel better when you do, I promise.”

The model continued to tremble, but showed no signs of acknowledgement, not even unconsciously. Ladybug sniffed loudly, not caring about how much of a mess she must have looked or sounded. She pursed her lips trying hard to keep her anxiety at bay. 

She drifted her gaze to Adrien’s stomach, covered by his signature Gabriel brand shirt. Ladybug removed her hand from his hair and gently grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifting it up as carefully as she could.

She almost wretched at the sight.

Adrien’s stomach to the middle of his torso was a sickening black. His skin had dried out to the point where it started cracking and flaking. The major blood veins appeared blacker than his skin, feathering across his torso like lightning bolts. Even as she examined the injury, Ladybug could see the blackness slowly seeping across his skin, engulfing more of his torso with each passing second. 

Ladybug’s panic began to return. 

“Adrien! Adrien, please!” She turned back to his face, her hand clutching his head closer. “Adrien wake up, please! You need to transform! Chat Noir, wake up!”

Tears poured from her eyes, heavy sobs erupting from deep within her chest. The heroine could barely see through her tears. She leaned her face closer to his, their noses mere inches apart.

“Chat! I can’t do this without you, please! I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. I was so stupid. I was so blind. I’ll fix everything I promise! You just need to transform!”

She tried to shake him. Caress his face. Pet his hair. Rest her forehead on his. Embrace him tighter. Anything to wake him. Yet neither pain nor tenderness were effective. 

Ladybug only had one idea left, despite how cliché it seemed. At that moment, she didn’t care. She would try anything. It worked once before. Hopefully, it would work this time as well.

Quashing all her doubts, Ladybug pressed her lips to Adrien’s.

Her heart leapt into her throat, but the kiss unsettled her. His lips did not respond. They were too still, too warm, too dry. There was no life. The kiss wasn’t bringing life back to his lips. 

Ladybug sobbed as she pulled away. She gazed at Adrien’s pained expression, helpless to soothe him. She choked on another sob as she brushed her fingers on his brow before trailing them down his cheek, wiping away the tears dripping from her cheeks onto his own.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” The heroine leaned down until she could whisper in his ear and cradle his head to hers. “Mon chaton, mon minou, I’m so sorry. I do love you, all along I did. I just- Please, please wake up so I can tell you.”

Silence. Nothing but the hero’s ragged breathing answered her. Ladybug felt her body grow numb. There was no saving him now. She would not leave him. She was going to stay with him until the end. He would not go on alone like every other aspect of his life. Nothing was going to make her leave, not an akuma, not Hawkmoth, not whoever was grabbing on to her arm.

Wait, what?

“Mldy?”

Ladybug’s stinging eyes shot open. Sitting up abruptly, she accidently jarred Adrien too roughly, causing him to cry out. She quickly glanced at her forearm with wide eyes, seeing Adrien’s hand wrapped around it in a white-knuckled grip. Eyes widening further, Ladybug turned back to the model’s face to notice his expression still agonized but much more animated. A squinted green eye peeked at her.

“Mldy, wht hppnd?” His words were slurred together but she understood him completely. Ladybug felt an unbridled urge to clutch him to her and never let go.

“Bug! Tell him to transform!” Plagg flitted next to her head, watching his chosen nervously. “I already put the ring on him. Do it now before we lose him again!”

Ladybug didn’t need him to repeat himself.

“Chat listen to me. You need to transform.” The heroine urged the hero tenderly. She cupped his cheek again, making sure his lidded, glazed eyes focused on her. “I’ll say the words and you repeat them, ok?”

“Im alrdy trnsfrmd.” Adrien slurred.

“I know, but I just need you to say the words again, ok?” She knew it was better to go along with his deliriousness than to contradict him. His pain-addled mind could only handle so much.

“K.” Adrien sighed, the short conversation already exhausting him.

“Ready? Plagg, claws out!”

“Plgg … clws ot.”

Ladybug closed her eyes against the bright green flash. The heaping gasp that followed caused them to fly open again.  
Chat Noir had returned and was gasping in air as if he had nearly drowned. His chest heaved as his lungs tried to consume as much air as he could. His lungs had not been getting enough air as his body deteriorated, the Cataclysm slowly beginning to corrupt them as well. Ladybug hastily tried to calm him, sitting him up fully.

“Easy, chaton. Easy.” She soothed while rubbing his back and keeping his shoulders up. She didn’t want him to curl in on his lungs or his damaged torso. “Breathe with me.”

Only after a harsh coughing fit that had Chat holding his sides painfully did he begin to breathe normally again. Wearied from the episode, the hero leaned against Ladybug. She continued to rub his back and let him hold her other hand with both of his. The heroine murmured quietly to him as he calmed down, trying her best to distract him from the pain. 

“Why are we in an alley?” 

Ladybug knew Chat would wonder why the scenery changed since he was last aware of his surroundings. She exhaled silently.

“Mayura almost took your Miraculous. I managed to stop her, but not before the ring came off your finger.” A stifling silence followed her admission. “You detransformed and passed out from the pain.”

“Did they see?”

“No. Luckily no one realized what happened until I left the battle with you.”

“Are you sure?”

Honestly, the heroine was not a hundred percent sure. Hawkmoth and Mayura could have seen Adrien’s clothes and made deductions from that, but Mayura had been knocked out herself and Rena Rouge and Carapace had kept Miraculer distracted. 

“I’m pretty sure.” Ladybug assured. “Let’s not worry about that right now. Right now, I need to defeat Miraculer and purify her akuma so I can heal you.”

Chat frowned at the change in subject, his tired expression troubled and uncertain. Ladybug pursed her lips. She tenderly wrapped her arms around his head and embraced him to her. She placed a kiss into his hair.

“I’m just glad you’re still with me.” The heroine whispered, keeping her voice steady. “I’m going to stop the pain, I promise.”

The hero clasped her bicep and nuzzled against her. After a moment, he pulled away and glanced up at her with red-rimmed, damp cat eyes. He gazed into her own bloodshot eyes searchingly, as if trying to find an answer to a difficult question. He opened his mouth but closed it again before shaking his head and smirking. Ladybug raised a brow as a grin grew on her lips as well. Chat’s smirk only widened as he lifted one of her hands and planted a quick peck on the back of it.

“I know you will, bugaboo.” 

Ladybug’s grin turned into a genuine smile. 

“Stay here and rest. I’ll be back. I promise.” She ruffled his hair as she stood and unclipped her yoyo from around her waist.

“I can’t wait.”


End file.
